The Universe of Books and Second Chances
by ItalianWriter123
Summary: The Second Wizarding War had been won but Lily and James Potter were still dead. Nothing could change that. Except maybe seven books detailing the life of their son, Harry Potter. (reading the books fanfic)
1. Chapter 1

Lily and James Potter had just been summoned. Summoned to the Between; A place where you are not quite dead but not quite living either. You only get to encounter it if something absolutely major has happened, something life-changing (or death-changing in their case).

'Ah, I see you have arrived accordingly. Excellent' an elderly man said, peering at them through his spectacles.

James and Lily were bewildered, what was that supposed to mean?

'I expect you are wondering why you are here'

'On no, not at all, I was just wondering what the square root of forty-nine was' James said sarcastically. Lily whacked him, 'I'm sorry for my husband's rudeness. Why _are_ we here though?' She asked politely.

The man gave a hint of a smile 'You are here because Lord Voldemort has finally been defeated.'

The couple stared at each other for a few seconds then hugged, feeling ecstatic. 'That is wonderful news!' James exclaimed.

'It is of course but I don't understand what that has to do with us, sir, or why we were summoned' Lily said, releasing herself from the hug.

'Well, you see Mrs Potter, your son happened to be the one who defeated him. And as to why you are here – the Universe has decided that since your family was torn apart in the cruellest way, you get to have some time back in the real world to get to know your son better'

Lily and James soaked all this information in. Their son was still alive and they got to go back and see him! This was too good to be true.

'Thank you so much!' the Potters said in unison.

'You deserve it' the man chuckled.

'So how is this all happening?'

'Well you will take a special Portkey to Hogwarts in one hour. With you, you will take a few books. These books describe Harry's life in detail so that he doesn't have to explain everything to you. When the allotted time is up, you shall disappear back to the World of the Dead.'

'How long do we get?' James questioned.

'The Universe shall decide that' He answered mysteriously then with a small pop, he vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello people of the universe! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You all are amazing.**

**Shout out to my awesome BETA reader, Tori-T-Face.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K Rowling does.**

The Gryffindor Common Room looked exactly the same as the day before. It still had the plush red sofas, red and gold patterned floor, and roaring fireplace giving the room a cosy atmosphere to enjoy.

Nothing had changed.

Yet there was a feeling of unease floating around in the air that Harry Potter just could not ignore. It was delving deep inside him and swallowing him whole. A wise man once said to him that he should always trust his instincts and his instincts were telling him something was about to change today, something huge was going to take place in these hallowed halls.

"Honestly Ronald, we have been back at Hogwarts barely three days and you are already stuffing your face with every kind of food the house-elves put in front of you. Have some manners!" Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best friends, said to her boyfriend as she climbed through the portrait hole, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Ron groaned.

"We have been on the run for almost a year with nothing to eat but a few measly mushrooms. Cut me a bit of slack, Hermione." he said whilst biting into a chicken drumstick he had brought with him from the Great Hall.

Harry smiled at his best friends. It was nice to know that even if something was about to change; they certainly wouldn't.

Suddenly, a loud thump came from inside the seventh year dormitories. Perhaps a few books had fallen off a shelf?

"James! Get off of my leg!" a female voice said, quite obviously annoyed.

"Sorry Lily – hey it worked, we are in Hogwarts! Wow, it hasn't changed a bit." James said looking in awe at the room in front of him.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, appearing at the doorway – feeling like the time in his second year when a house-elf appeared inside his bedroom.

"I'm Lily Potter and that idiot over there is my husband, James." Lily said getting up onto her feet and moving to shake Harry's hand.

Harry was in shock – this couldn't be true. "Prove it." he said shakily.

"How?" James asked.

Harry thought for a moment then he called out "Kreacher!"

An unpleasant looking creature materialised at once, "Yes Master?"

"Do you think you could get hold of a bottle of Veritaserum for me?"

"Certainly Master."

The creature vanished and Harry turned to face them.

It was then that Lily and James got a proper look at the boy in front of them. He had jet-black hair that stuck up in the same way James' hair does. Brilliant green eyes that were almond shaped just like Lily's. Numerous scars seem to cover every area of his body but one in particular stood out to James and Lily – a curious, lightening shaped scar that rested on top of his forehead.

"How did you get all those scars?" Lily whispered bringing a hand up to her mouth in shock.

Harry looked down and said "I'm not saying anything until you prove your identity to me."

Kreacher re-appeared and handed the bottle to Lily. She took a swig and then handed the bottle to James.

"Alright," Harry said, "Who are you and why are you here?"

"My name is Lily Potter nee Evans. I am here because Lord Voldemort has finally been defeated. The Universe decided that since we never got to know our son – they would give us a chance to come back to the real world and do so."

Harry's mouth was hanging open. This was actually happening.

"My name is James Potter ... What she said." he said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Harry quickly enveloped them in a tight embrace, "I'm Harry Potter, your son."

**A/N In the next chapter the characters will actually start reading the books. I have decided that I will only do select chapters from the first six books but the seventh book will be told in full. If anyone has any particular chapter that they really want to be seen read, please review and tell me your suggestions.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Thanks once again for reading/reviewing/following/favouriting. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K Rowling does.**

It felt so good to be held in his parent's arms for the first time. To actually feel loved and appreciated was all he had ever hoped for and now it was actually happening.

''Harry!'' Ron called out, ''Is everything okay?''

Harry smiled – everything was more than okay, ''Yeah, why don't you come in here?''

Hermione and Ron walked into the dormitories and Hermione gasped, ''How did this happen?''

''Long story'' James said, ''Out of interest, who are you?''

''These are my best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.'' Harry said happily grinning at his two friends.

"A Weasley eh?" James exclaimed grinning. "How many of you are there?"

"Oh well I have five older brothers and a younger sister." Said Ron blushing and looking down at his feet.

"Arthur has been a busy bee!" James whistled chuckling.

''It's lovely to meet you.'' Lily said warmly, choosing to ignore James.

''You too, Mrs Potter.'' Ron replied, his ears turning red. Hermione nodded dumbfounded.

''Oh James! Remember we have some books to read?''

''Yes! Why don't we read them now?''

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked extremely baffled. Books? What books?

''When the Universe decided to give us some time back in the Real World, they gave us some books to read to get to know you better,'' Lily explained.

''So books on my life? Well this ought to be interesting...'' Harry said, slightly scared to hear what their impressions would be on his life. He was especially apprehensive as to what their reactions would be towards his younger life before Hogwarts and how the Dursleys treated him.

''Okay then let's get started.'' Hermione said eagerly going over to one of the beds getting herself comfortable.

''Sonorus bookus,'' Lily said waving her wand, feeling a bit giddy that she was finally casting a spell again after so long.

''What does that do?'' Ron asked curiously frowning. Harry looked over at him, catching his eye and shrugged feeling just as clueless.

''The words on the page will be read aloud by the spell instead of us having to do it.'' Lily explained smiling at the looks of confusion on their faces.

''Wicked!'' Ron said impressed.

They all got themselves comfortable on the bed and then the spell started to read.

**Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

''You're welcome?'' James asked confusedly.

"What's so great about being normal?" Lily muttered to herself rolling her eyes.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

''Petunia would give anything to be a part of our 'nonsense' '' Lily snorted.

**Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

''Should I even bother to ask what drills are?'' Ron questioned.

Harry and Hermione shook their heads – it probably wouldn't be relevant to the story anyway.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

''They obviously haven't met me'' Ron joked, puffing up his chest. Harry and Hermione snickered whilst James just gave a superior smirk.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband –**

''Excuse me?'' James said looking highly offended.

''The book is right, dear, you aren't really good for anything.'' Lily teased him.

**were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

''What a shame that you did end up mixing with him,'' Ron said sadly.

''I wouldn't really call it 'mixing' more like Dudley bullying me.'' Harry said gritting his teeth in anger.

Lily and James looked at him worriedly – this didn't sound good.

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

''Nothing much has changed except the chair has gotten bigger!'' Harry laughed.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

''Little tyke? Little tyke!? How can he encourage such behaviour? What a disgusting excuse for a human being!'' Lily exclaimed getting highly flustered.

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.**

''That's what all the Muggles say,'' Ron sighed.

''How would you know?'' Harry asked.

"Dad." Ron shrugged as if this explained everything.

**Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror.**

''Oh dear, he could cause an accident if he doesn't look where he's going!'' Lily fretted.

**It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

''How incredibly boring,'' Hermione mused.

''He is. Incredibly so.'' Harry said grimacing.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

''The horror!" James said pretending to faint.

Ron and Harry laughed at his antics.

''Actually it is,'' Hermione said seriously while Lily nodded in agreement, ''Wizards shouldn't be dressed like that in front of Muggles. They could expose us!''

**Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by.**

''He is like the Muggle version of a Death Eater!'' Ron exclaimed.

''You have no idea.'' Harry murmured darkly, thinking of all the times when his uncle locked him in his cupboard.

Lily looked at her son in concern leaning into James side, smiling when his arm came to rest around her shoulders.

**They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

''He overreacts way too much.'' Lily said.

**But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

''Well that changed back fast'' James said.

''There are only three things that he thinks about for long periods of time: food, drills and how much he hates me.'' Harry said dully.

''Surely he can't hate you that much!'' Lily said concerned, ''can he?''

Harry didn't say anything.

**Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time. Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime,**

''That's what gets him in a good mood? I'd hate to see what gets him in a bad mood.'' Hermione shuddered.

**when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

''His appetite never ceases to amaze me - not even James is that bad!'' Lily shuddered.

''Oh I don't know,'' Hermione said, looking at Ron, ''I could think of somebody in the room that has possibly a worse appetite than even him.''

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry,''**

Everyone bowed their heads. It was obviously _that_ day.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

''Really?'' James asked eagerly.

''It's just an expression, Mr Potter.'' Hermione replied.

''Yeah, that would never happen. I'm not that lucky!'' Harry joked.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

''Sensible idea seeing as they would probably hex him if he said anything offensive.'' Ron said.

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid.**

''Tell us something we don't know,'' Hermione muttered.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry.**

James snorted, ''Doubt it!''

**Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.**

''What a wonderful uncle he is.'' Lily said dryly.

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

Ron laughed, ''I'm going to start calling you Harvey!''

Harry glared at him, ''Don't you dare. Won-Won.''

Ron cringed, ''You win mate.''

**There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

''Your sister is horrible! I'm not even sure she can be called a sister with that moustache. . .'' Harry said annoyed.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks... He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

''Oh the poor bugger.'' James chuckled.

**"Sorry," he grunted. **

''Wait, what?'' Harry questioned, ''I didn't think the word 'sorry' was in his vocabulary!''

''Well you learn something new every day.'' said Ron.

**as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak.**

''It might be Professor Flitwick!'' James laughed excitedly.

**He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

''What an idiot,'' Hermione huffed, ''He should be reported!''

Lily nodded vigorously, ''Even if Voldemort did lose his power it doesn't mean that everyone can relax so much and start blurting things out to confused Muggles!''

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

''What kind of person doesn't approve of imagination?'' Ron asked shocked.

''A Dursley.'' Lily growled angrily.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

''Do you think it could be Professor McGonagall?'' Harry wondered.

''It seems very likely,'' Lily said.

**"Shoo!" said Mr Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move.**

''I would bloody well think not!'' James scoffed, ''What a feeble coward!''

**It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

''To be honest I'm surprised he even has a wife. I mean even Petunia deserves better than him!'' Hermione exclaimed.

''Desperation.''

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

''Yes. That's a wonderful word for a child to learn!'' Lily muttered.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally.**

''I always love hearing an oxymoron,'' Harry said vaguely.

Everyone looked at him as if they had never seen him before.

''Mate. That's something remarkably similar to something that Luna would say.'' said Ron.

**When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: "And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.**

**"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

''It's even on the news!'' Hermione exclaimed.

''Hermione, we get it – it's terrible but can you please stop bringing it up every single bloody time?'' Ron pleaded.

''Fine.''

''**Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

''Dun dun dun!''

''James!'' Lily scolded.

''Sorry I just thought it would make it more dramatic.'' He snickered.

**Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

Harry whistled, ''This is not going to go down well.''

**As he had expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

''I love you too Petunia.'' Lily said sarcastically.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd."**

''He can't even say 'wizards' for goodness sake!'' Hermione cried, ''This man has got issues!''

**Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

''Probably Dumbledore,'' Ron frowned, deep in thought.

**Was he imagining things?**

''Probably not seeing as he doesn't approve of imagination.'' Harry said mildly.

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters?**

''It always has something to do with Harry!'' Hermione and Ron said in unison.

**If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

''The feelings mutual buddy.'' said James.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over- it couldn't affect them...**

''Famous last words!'' Ron grinned.

**How very wrong he was.**

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

''I always admired Professor McGonagall's willpower.'' Hermione said smiling.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.**

''That's because he probably did.'' Lily said reasonably.

**The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

"Definitely McGonagall.'' Ron said.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.**

''Why does he wear high heels?'' Hermione wondered.

Everyone shrugged – one does not normally question the insanity that is Albus Dumbledore.

**His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

''Albus is quite a nice name now that I think about it...'' Harry mused.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

''I'm sure he realised but he probably didn't care.'' James said proudly.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

''Cool!'' James said admirably.

The Trio smirked – that cigarette lighter happened to be in this very room.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer,**

''Put-Outer? I thought it was called the Deluminator.'' Ron said confused.

**until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

''Isn't strange imagining Professor McGonagall in Muggle London?'' Harry asked.

''She was the one who told me I was a wizard.'' Hermione reminisced fondly.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

Ron laughed, ''Who else would sit so stiffly?''

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

''See?''

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

''I'm sure she is the only person to ever say those words.'' James smiled.

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

Everyone in the room was very familiar with those sniffs.

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense.''**

''That's a bit unfair,'' Lily frowned, ''Dedalus can be very sensible but … he just goes through phases.''

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

''Eleven years?'' Harry asked in shock, ''Wow.''

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours."**

Everyone looked at Hermione – she really was the spitting image of McGonagall.

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

''Not quite,'' Harry said sadly.

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

Everyone chuckled, Dumbledore would never change.

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

''I wonder how much different life would be if he had never been born.'' Lily said.

''We mustn't focus on what could've been, Lily dear, let's just focus on right now.'' James said much to everyone's surprise.

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.''**

''A fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.'' Hermione recited.

Everyone nodded.

**"I know you haven 't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

''Rubbish!'' Harry exclaimed, ''Just because Dumbledore used his power differently does not mean –''

''We know Harry, we know.'' Hermione said in an attempt to calm him down.

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

''Did not need to know that!'' James squirmed.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

''What actually did stop him?'' Lily asked.

''I'm sure you will find out eventually,'' Harry said smiling slightly at his mother.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

''Dumbledore can be really annoying sometimes!'' James muttered impatiently.

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead.''**

Everyone had tears forming in their eyes. It was all just so sad.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."**

James mustered a small smile ''It's nice to know she cared …''

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.''**

''I still don't understand how that happened!'' Lily grumbled -she simply hated not knowing things.

''None of us really do,'' Hermione replied.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy?**

**It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

James groaned, ''Bloody Dumbledore!''

''James!'' Lily exclaimed, ''Don't be so rude!''

''Sorry, Lily-flower.''

''Don't worry, Dad, you will find out in the books.''

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

''How is Hagrid doing?'' Lily asked.

''Really well actually, did you know he has a half-brother?'' Harry replied.

''No! Wow I have so much to catch up on!''

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

''That's not true! Sirius and Remus are his family!'' James cried, ''Hey! Where are Sirius and Remus?''

''They … um … they – they're no longer with us.'' Harry mumbled looking anywhere but at his parents.

James and Lily could not be believe it, ''How? When? Where?''

Hermione answered for Harry this time, ''Sirius died in our fifth year in the Department of Mysteries. Bellatrix Lestrange killed him''

''That son of a *****!'' James yelled;

''What about Remus?'' Lily asked timidly.

''Remus died three days ago in the Battle of Hogwarts.'' Ron said.

Lily and James wept. Their poor, poor friends.

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

''Well at least McGonagall has some sense.'' Ron said, in hope of lightening up the atmosphere.

Everyone gave a weak smile.

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

''A letter? He should have gone to explain in person!'' Lily said angrily.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

''She wasn't wrong.'' Harry said miserably.

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

''I guess that's logical.'' said Hermione.

''Yeah but still …''

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

Lily sat up – he better not be.

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

''Good.'' Lily said relaxing.

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**''I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

''So would I!'' Everyone In the room chorused.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

''Even if they can't see it, I bet the Muggles will hear it.'' Ron pointed out.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

''Aww I can still remember holding you in my arms the day you were born.'' Lily cooed.

''I bet Harvey was the cutest baby ever!'' Ron teased.

Harry blushed, ''Shut up Won-Won or else I will ask your mum for baby pictures and hang them up around Hogwarts for all to see!''

That certainly shut Ron up.

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

James smiled fondly at the mention of his best friend.

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

''Is that where Voldemort – '' Lily questioned.

Harry nodded.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

''Eww!'' Hermione said, wrinkling her nose in horror.

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. "Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

Harry shook his head, ''I can't believe I thought Hagrid would maim me alive when I first met him!''

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

''Her sympathy simply astounds me.'' Ron said sarcastically.

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

''He left you on the doorstep?'' Lily said, her temper rising, ''What a careless, inconsiderate nitwit! You could have died!''

James felt very tempted (but thought better of it) to point out how rude she was being towards Dumbledore especially when only moments ago she had admonished him for doing the exact same thing.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

Harry felt a tear stream down his face when he remembered that Sirius never did get his bike back.

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

''Where are her manners?'' Ron gasped, doing a perfect interpretation of his mother.

Harry and Hermione were the only ones who laughed, however, as Lily and James had not met Mrs Weasley before.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. "Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

''Magical,'' James said mystically.

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"**

''Well it looks like that is the end of the chapter!'' said Hermione, sighing in relief.

**A/N What chapter do you want to see being read next?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Hello there! Yes I am still alive and I am so sorry it has taken so long to update. I will try to my absolute best to be quicker. So anyway here is The Vanishing Glass!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K Rowling does.**

The group had decided to take a short break before they went on to read the next chapter.

''This is so strange!'' Harry said. ''I mean it's not every day that you read a book about your life.''

''True but I think it could be good for you, Harry.'' Hermione said wisely, ''I mean to help deal with everything you have been through and let's face it – you have been through a lot!''

Harry and Ron nodded while the Potters listened intently for a clue as to what might have been the terrible things that their son has been through.

''Potter!'' a stern voice called out.

'' . . . Yes?'' Harry asked, puzzled as to who it might be.

''May I have a word?'' Minerva McGonagall queried as she walked through the portrait hole (the Professor isn't so tacky as to _climb_ through the portrait hole.)

''Of course, Professor –but first perhaps you ought to greet a couple of people.''

Professor McGonagall gasped as Harry stood aside to reveal Lily and James Potter alive and well, in the flesh.

''What on earth happened? How are you here? I can't believe it!'' the Professor exclaimed as she took a seat, her hand resting over her frantically beating heart.

''Careful Professor,'' James smiled, ''If you're not careful, you might start to sound like a babbling, bumbling baboon!''

''Oh be quiet you. But seriously – how are you here?''

Lily explained to her the whole story while she just sat there in shock.

''So Professor, would you care to join in on the reading session?'' Lily finished off.

McGonagall just nodded dumbfounded.

''Chapter Two – The Vanishing Glass,'' Ron said in a significant voice.

**Nearly ten years had passed-**

''Ten years?'' Lily asked disappointedly, ''So we don't get to see your first day of school, or the first word you ever spoke?''

Harry shrugged and shook his head.

**since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

''Figures.'' Ron murmured to Hermione who nodded vigorously.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets –**

''Who is that?'' Hermione questioned absent-mindedly, being the only one in the room who hadn't met or seen Dudley Dursley.

''Harry's big fat cousin, of course.'' James chuckled.

Ron pretended to gasp, ''Were they talking about Dudley? I thought they were talking about Harry!''

Harry shoved him in the arm. Hard.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

''And why not?'' Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.

Harry shifted in his seat, ''Well I am a very good photographer and the Dursleys wanted to acknowledge my talents …''

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

''Why do all adults wake children up like that?'' Ron shuddered.

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

''Not quite.'' Hermione smiled.

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday.''**

''Duddy?'' James sniggered, ''Petunia really does come up with the worst nicknames!''

''Agreed.''

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

**"Nothing, nothing..."**

**Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them**,

''How can you pull a spider off your sock so casually?'' Ron said cringing.

**put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

Everyone (except Harry) did a double-take. Was that read correctly?

''Must be a typo.'' Harry said quickly, knowing that they wouldn't like this piece of information.

''I don't think so, Potter, if the Universe wrote the book – then no _way_ would there be any mistakes.'' Professor McGonagall said, giving Harry one of her oh-so-famous glares at him.

''Whatever ...'' Harry muttered looking away from everyone.

''So it's true?'' Lily asked, angrily ''They locked you away in a cupboard?''

Seeing Harry make no denial, Lily muttered darkly. ''Oh the Dursleys are going to pay.''

''That's absolutely outrageous!'' James and Ron exclaimed.

''Please ... Just continue listening to the book.'' Harry pleaded.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry**,

''Most things are a mystery to Harry.'' Ron whispered to James, hiding his mouth behind his hand.

**as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

''That's my boy!'' James grinned.

Lily looked disgusted.

''How can you so blatantly ignore the fact that our son was used as a punching bag a child? I'm sorry Harry.'' She said turning to him.

Harry just waved her off good-naturedly.

''Like the book said – he couldn't often catch me.''

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

''Do you remember the first day we met and I fixed your glasses for you?'' Hermione asked.

Harry smiled – ''I don't think I would ever forget. Thanks again by the way.''

**The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

''I'm sorry – did it just say you liked the scar?'' Ron coughed.

''To be fair, I didn't know what it meant at the time …''

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

James and Lily gritted their teeth.

''Hey Ron,'' Hermione whispered. ''Maybe we should get Umbridge to go over to the Dursleys and teach them that they mustn't tell lies!''

''Bloody brilliant idea, Hermione.'' Ron smiled evilly.

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

''Seriously?'' Lily questioned.

Harry nodded and then grinned. ''One time I actually retorted 'lose some weight' and it didn't go down well!''

Everyone laughed.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

''You know it's really nice that we are reading this book,'' Hermione said to Lily. ''because it's giving him a chance to showcase his humour and act like a normal kid. Most of the time he's always too worried about saving the world.''

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents.**

**His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

''How greedy can you get?'' James asked, shocked.

''I always wondered how they managed to pay for so many presents.'' Harry said vaguely.

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."**

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?''**

''No it is not alright!'' McGonagall said venomously, ''You are supposed to be raising a child not a spoiled brat!"

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."**

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

Hermione shivered.

''I am so glad Harry didn't turn out like that!''

Harry hadn't thought about that before. He could've so easily have turned out like that – but he didn't. In a way, I suppose, the neglect and abuse was better than being loved by the Dursleys, Harry thought to himself.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

''It's like they are scared of saying Harry's name!'' Ron muttered, ''What a bunch of cowards.''

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

James grinned. ''Sirius would be in paradise!''

A sudden image of James and Sirius laughing and goofing off in detention came to McGonagall's mind. Not that she would ever admit it but she missed those days.

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

''What common names!'' Hermione huffed, ''Crookshanks is a much better name!''

No one dared argue.

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

''Harry dear – don't listen to them, you are most definitely not a slug.'' Lily said, looking fondly at her son.

''Thanks mum for the clarification.'' Harry snorted.

''She's gone bonkers!'' James mimed behind Lily's back.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

''There's an idea!'' James said wickedly.

Professor McGonagall groaned. ''Don't even think about it Potter.''

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car..."**

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."**

''Oh yes, the poor car!'' Hermione snapped.

**Dudley began to cry loudly.**

''What an immature prat!'' Ron exclaimed loudly, ''Harry isn't so bad once you get used to him.''

''You're all heart Ronald.''

**In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried - but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

''Excuse me while I go and vomit.'' Lily said quietly.

**"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp- spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend,**

''Dudley actually has a friend?'' James asked in surprise, ''I pity him.''

Everyone silently agreed.

**Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

''That is so sad.'' said Hermione.

Harry shrugged. ''At least I got to go at all.''

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside. "I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

''This horrible human being should be reported!'' McGonagall said fiercely.

''Give him the death penalty!'' James said enthusiastically.

''No we won't kill him – I have an even better idea.'' Lily said, thinking hard.

The Trio looked terrified at this point.

''Calm down. We can just send him to Azkaban – let's not do anything crazy!''

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly."**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

''Isn't that the truth?'' Harry said miserably thinking back to his fifth year.

''The problem is, Harry, you're just an unbelievable person.'' Ron smiled.

''That's a nice way of looking at it, Mr Weasley.'' McGonagall said approvingly.

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

Everyone chuckled tinged with pity. That would have been hilarious! But poor Harry shouldn't have been punished.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) - The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

''Your accidental magic was so much cooler than mine!'' Ron said, enviously.

''What did you do?'' Harry asked, curiously.

''One time I changed my maroon coloured jumper to pink and yellow polka dots. Not my finest hour.'' Ron said blushing.

Harry didn't say anything to spare his friend but on the inside he was laughing his head off.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid- jump.**

''You apparated? That is so cool!'' James yelled.

''I suppose so.'' Harry shrugged.

''When I was a little girl, I actually flew!'' Lily said.

''Yeah I know.'' Harry nodded.

''You do? How?'' Lily queried.

''It will be in the books.''

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong.**

''Harry! You shouldn't have thought that! Now something will most definitely go wrong!'' Hermione moaned.

**It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

''I don't know but I have a slight hunch he likes to complain about Mr Potter.'' Professor McGonagall said sarcastically.

''Me too, funnily enough.'' James added.

**"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

''**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

''YES THEY DO!'' Lily yelled to everyone's surprise.

''I've never been so proud to call you my wife!'' James said, wiping away a fake tear.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

''**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

''You most definitely _do_ get dangerous ideas.'' McGonagall said disapprovingly, ''and the detentions don't even seem to deter you.''

Lily was disappointed that Harry got detentions but she supposed she shouldn't be surprised; he was James's son after all.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

''Imagine if Dudley got a job working at the zoo! The employees would probably stuff him in a cage by accident!'' Ron smirked.

''They shouldn't be stuffing animals in a cage anyway! It is so sick that they do that just for people's pleasure. Animals should be able to run free.'' Hermione said heavily.

''Here we go …'' Ron muttered, sensing another S.P.E.W talk.

''I totally agree, Hermione, but perhaps we should finish the book before we do something about it.'' Lily suggested.

''Thank you'' Ron mouthed to her.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

''I'm surprised Dudley didn't finish off the first and then get another one.'' James snorted.

''I suppose that is quite strange ... but I'm not complaining!'' Harry said happily.

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

''See!'' Hermione said indignantly.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

''The poor snake is probably scarred for life after that hideous sight!'' Ron said sympathetically.

''I'm pretty sure he turned out just fine.'' Harry smiled, knowing what was going to happen next.

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

''Snakes aren't alive for your personal entertainment!'' Hermione said, annoyed,

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. "This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom,**

''I wouldn't go that far, Harry.'' James said seriously.

**where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked.**

''Snakes don't have eyelids!'' Lily stressed, ''How is this happening?''

''Magic?'' Ron suggested.

**Harry stared**.

''I'm not surprised.''

**Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

''As you do.'' Hermione smiled.

''As Harry does.'' Ron corrected.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time.''**

''You're a Parselmouth?'' James and Lily said, their mouths hanging open.

''Yeah ...'' Harry shifted uncomfortably.

''Don't think we don't love you any less.'' They said realising Harry's thoughts and how their reactions looked like. ''We are just surprised – no one in our families has ever been one and it is supposed to pass down through the generations – ''

''It's okay, Mum and Dad.'' Harry cut them off.

''And actually, Harry,'' Hermione said. ''You're not one anymore.''

''I'm not?''

Hermione shook her head. ''When Voldemort killed the Horcrux inside you he killed off your Parseltongue abilities too.''

Harry looked relieved.

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

''Having a conversation with a snake and not thinking anything of it. Only Harry could do that.'' Ron smiled.

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.**

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs.**

''What a rude boy!'' said McGonagall.

"_Definitely._''

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

''Bloody brilliant!'' Ron laughed.

''That was rather inspired.'' Professor McGonagall said pursing her lips (in other words trying not to laugh).

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."**

''Do you know what would be really messed up?'' James asked.

''What?'' Everyone asked.

''If the snake Harry was talking to here ending up being Nagini!''

''I bloody well hope not!'' Harry said thinking.

''Isn't that snake too polite to be Voldemort's?'' Hermione questioned.

James shrugged. ''I was just saying that it would be messed up if it was.''

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

''Into nothingness, which is to say everything. Isn't that right Professor?'' Harry grinned.

''Indeed it is, Mr Potter.''

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

Everyone moaned and groaned – what a complete idiot.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals,"**

''I'm so glad I went to Hogwarts!'' said Harry.

Everyone looked at him pityingly.

Harry simply looked away.

**before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

''At least it taught you some Marauder skills!'' James said bracingly.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burn- ing pain on his forehead.**

Everyone stiffened.

''Your memory is a blessing and a curse.'' Hermione said quietly.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

Lily still couldn't see where she went wrong. They used to be so close. You would have had to force them apart. But later it was like their bond never existed. You would have had to force them to be together and even then, it might not have worked.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family.**

''Well that's depressing.'' Ron said in a monotone.

''At least I had Sirius and Remus for a while. And you guys.'' Harry said looking at his parents.

Lily and James smiled. ''Even when we have to leave – we will always watch over you.''

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

''I remember how much that used to frustrate me.'' Harry chuckled.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

''This has been a depressing chapter!'' James whined, ''I want a light-hearted one.''

''Nothing with Harry is light-hearted.'' a dreamy voice said from behind them.

**A/N Again if you have any suggestions for what chapter you would like to be seen read. Please just review!**


End file.
